Centrifugal separating machine



Nov. 17, 1942. w. WILSMANN GENTRIFUGAL SEPARATING MACHINE Fild June 22, 1959 7 7 i 3 m 2 6 m m 1 "m :11 a 4I\\ w 11W llll Ii w m 9 4 a 8 W Inventor:

Patented Nov. 17, 1942 CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATING MACHINE Wilhelm Wilsmann, Oelde, Germany; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application June 22, 1939, Serial No. 280,640 In Germany July 11, 1938 2 Claims. (Cl. 233-22) to the axis of rotation has been provided into which a rotary body fastened on the drum shaft is dipped. This, however, has had to do only with packing against any loss of lubricating oil, and nothing with any passage of the liquid stream.

Furthermore, it has been suggested to employ fixed discs in concentric arrangement to the axis of rotation. attached to the feed pipe and dipping into a cylindric container for the liquid within the drum. These discs are provided for the purpose of shielding the inlet chamber of the drum against the air. They are not capable, however, of packing against any arising pressure.

In accordance with the present invention, in a. centrifugal separating machine of the kind referred to, the tightening connection of the feed pipe with the centrifugal drum is obtained by an annular chamber disposed at the point of connection in concentric relation to the axis of rotation, a rotary member or body dipping or projecting into said annular chamber, one of the said parts being connected with the rotating drum and the other one with the stationary connecting pipe, and means adapted to entrain the liquid being provided within the annular chamber on the side facing the air gap of the revolving part, and braking means, adapted to retard the liquid being provided on the side of the stationary part facing the liquid gap, on one only of the said means being provided.

By this design, an effective seal or tightening by the liquid is obtained even with under excessive pressure or pressure fluctuations, for the reason that the liquid entrained on the one side of the dipping body produces a higher pressure than the liquid retarded on the other. The pressure that may be effectively tightened is the equivalent of the difference existing between the liquid pressure values produced by centrifugal force on both sides of the dipping body.

One embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example in the drawing the figure of which is a fragmentary vertical section through the top of a centrifuge drum.

Referring to the figure of the drawing, the liquid to be centrifuged is fed through a stationary supply pipe I and a revolving inlet pipe 2 into the drum 3. The specifically heavier portion (skim milk) flows in known manner from the drum through channels 4 into an outlet chamber 5, from which it is conveyed by a collector 6 to an outlet 1. The specifically lighter portion (cream) is forced to the centre into a chamber 8 and is conveyed through an annular chamber 9 to outlets III. Between the supply pipe I and the inlet pipe 2 there is disposed a chamber II connected with the stationary supply pipe I and disposed concentrically with the axis of rotation of the drum, into which chamber an annular mem ber I2 connected with the inlet pipe 2 projects concentrically. 0n opening the supply valve (not shown) in the pipe I whilst the drum is revolving,.the chamber I I is filled with the liquid to be centrifuged.

The upper inner wall of the stationary chamber- II facing a liquid gap I5 between the pipes I and 2 is provided with liquid-retarding ribs I3 andthe lower wall of the revolving annular member I2 facing an air gap I5a with liquid-entraining ribs I I. Since the liquid is thereby caused to rotate more rapidly near the ribs I 4 than at the spot near the ribs I3, an excess pressure is produced by the ribs I4 opposite to that produced by the ribs I3, which with correct adjustment counterbalances the pressure at the gap I5 which is about equal to the pressure in the inlet pipe I.

In the case of low pressures, one of the two groups of ribs or a mereroughening of the surface would probably suflice. Besides, however, the conical shape of the member I2, owing to the liquid being forced by the centrifugal action against the under side thereof, produces greater friction on this side than on the upper side from which the liquid flows.

The rectilineal passage from the supply pipe I to the inlet pipe 2 at the gap I5 prevents the traversing liquid from becoming admixed to any considerable extent with the sealing liquid in the chamber I I disposed outside of the liquid stream, so that the traversing centrifuge liquid remains practically uninfluenced by the sealing device.

An annular chamber It for any leaking liquid, which discharges into a cream-interceptor I1, is disposed below the sealing chamber I I. The separating groove I8 between the inlet pipe 2 supporting the revolving member I2 and the drum body ends in a concentric chamber III with outlet ZII into the cream-interceptor II, so that any fat-containing liquid which may have leaked chamber may be efiected by a channel 2| connected with the outer air. De-aeration may also be effected by a pipe 22 projecting into the drum, which pipe, in order to prevent loss of any entrained centrifuge liquid, discharges by way of a funnel 23 into the cream-interceptor I1.

Since the liquid to be centrifuged must as a rule be fed under excess pressure into the centri- Iuge drum, if air or gas is no more present, liquid will flow out of the pipe 22. A stop-cock 24 mounted in the pipe 22, is provided with ports or passages of different sizes, a larger one for use during the beginning of the centrifuging operation for the passage of relatively large quantities of air and a smaller one for use during regular operation.

The sealed connection shown in the drawing can of course be kinematically reversed in such a way that the chamber I I revolves and the member I2 remains stationary.

The described sealing device connected with the inlet piping of the drum may be advantageously combined with a collector 6 for the discharge of the centrifuged liquid, as shown in the drawing. By such a combination an important advantage is entailed as the collector produces a pressure which counterbalances the pressure around the liquid gap I and within the chamber II. Thus the chamber II is relieved from the pressure of the out-flowing liquid by the counterbalancing pressure in the collector and, thus, the chamber I I can be of smaller dimensions than in the case where a collector is not used. The said collector is preferably symmetrically shaped, as shown, and is radially arranged around the inlet pipe 2 to permit relative rotation of the inlet pipe with respect thereto. This arrangement does not essentially increase the constructional height of the machine or impair its operation.

While I have described and illustrated in the drawing what I consider some of 'the simplest and most eflioient exemplifications of my invention, it should be understood that my invention is not limited thereto, but it may find expression in other forms of embodiment in accordance with and within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a centrifugal separator, the combination with a pair of axially alined pipes in slightly spaced end to end relation, one of said pipes being connected to a drum and being revoluble with respect to the other, of a sealing means at the junction of said pipes, including an annular flange extending outwardly from the extremity of one of said pipes, a chamber carried by the end portion of the other pipe and enclosing said flange, fins projecting inwardly from a portion of the wall of said chamber and being adapted to produce a retarding action on the liquid, and other fins projecting from the flange on the side of the flange remote from the first mentioned fins, the said other fins being adapted to produce entraining of the liquid, an exit for said drum, piping leading away from the centrifuged liquid, and a liquid forcing means coaxially positioned at the exit of the drum and adapted to discharge centrifuged liquid and to produce a pressure in the piping leading away the centrifuged liquid.

2. The combination of claim 1, said liquid forcing means consisting of a revolving chamber positioned coaxially to the sealing means and enclosing a stationary collector adapted to discharge said part of the centrifuged liquid.

WILHELM WILSMANN. 

